


Renata

by Shuichi_Akai



Category: One Piece
Genre: Dimensional Travel, Gen, OC is Cora's daughter, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 04:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16825246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shuichi_Akai/pseuds/Shuichi_Akai
Summary: When she died, she expected to stay dead. She’s read fanfiction about people being reborn into anime, but that was all fiction and couldn’t be true…right? Yet when she died, she awoke in a new body. She was reborn as Donquixote Renata, the daughter of Donquixote Rocinante. [Hiatus]





	1. Born Again

She was sinking deeper and deeper into the icy depths of the sea. Her vision was blurring and fading as the moonlight at the surface was growing farther and farther away. She couldn’t breathe, her mouth and lungs filling with saltwater. She should be swimming, trying to reach above the waves to get oxygen. But her body felt heavy and exhausted.

_‘I’m dying…’_

She could barely see the red fluid that came from her wounds and mixed into the ocean.

_‘I’m actually dying…’_

Pretty soon there would be no light penetrating the depths her corpse would be at.

_‘My brother shot me…and I fell off the cliff…’_

Somehow, she managed a small smile.

_‘Finally…I can be with you guys again…Mother…Father…’_

She closed her eyes.

XXX

She never expected to wake up to a blinding light. She never expected to open her eyes again. She never expected to be breathing again. She was supposed to be dead, shot and drowned. _‘Did I somehow survive and rescuers managed to retrieve my body and revive me? No, that’s impossible. Nobody was around when I died. Even if they did find my body, I would have died from my wounds,’_

“Your daughter opened her eyes for the first time,” The voice startled her. It was unfamiliar yet she could have sworn she heard his voice before. She couldn’t recall where but she could tell that the owner of the voice held authority judging by the tone.

_‘Wait, did he just say daughter?’_ She tried to shift around a bit and realized that she was being held gently in someone’s arms. _‘I get that I’m short for my age, but I shouldn’t be carried like a baby!’_

“Hey there sweetie,” She turned to the source of the second voice, the person who was holding her. It was a man who seemed to be around his late teens. His golden-blonde hair was disheveled, as if he was stressed out for at least the past couple hours. His reddish-brown eyes had dark shadows beneath them signifying that he hadn’t slept in a while.

_‘This man looks really familiar, but why can’t I put my finger on it? I don’t know many blonde guys so if I’ve seen him before, it should be easy to narrow his identity down. Why is he holding me like a baby? I’m an adult!’_

She managed to catch sight of the one other person in the room and the owner of the first voice she had heard. Her eyes widened. It was unmistakable who it was. Although he lacked his seagull cap, his long braided beard, round glasses, and afro gave him away. The other man in the room was Sengoku the Buddha.

 _‘T-That’s impossible!’_ She gasped. _‘Fleet Admiral Sengoku the Buddha isn’t real! He’s a fictional character created by Eiichiro Oda!’_

“Sengoku-san, it seems that she likes you,” The man holding her commented with a soft chuckle. “She’s staring at you,”

Sengoku smiled. “Now, now, little one, you should be paying attention to your father, not me,”

 _‘My father!? What the hell is he talking about!?’_ She looked down at her body and was horrified. _‘My hands and feet are so tiny! I’m wearing baby clothes! WHY AM I A BABY!?’_ She looked back up to the man holding her who was apparently her “father.”

“It’s like she understood what you said, Sengoku-san,” The man commented jokingly. “She looked away from you and at me,” He brushed a few short strands of hair out of her face. “Sweetie, I’m your father, Donquixote Rocinante,”

 _‘Donquixote Rocinante!?’_ She thought she couldn’t get any more surprised, but she was wrong. _‘Blonde hair, reddish-brown eyes…he does match the description of Corazon except for the lack of makeup. This must be one hell of a dream. There’s no way that I was reborn into the One Piece World. That only happens in fanfiction and I am_ not _in a fanfiction! I’m a real person that was shot by real bullets and fell off a real cliff and died a real death!’_

She hadn’t noticed that tears of frustration had begun to well up in her eyes. Rocinante gently rocked her back and forth. “Shh, shh, it’s okay. Are you hungry?”

Her stomach let out a soft growl. _‘I’m starving!’_ A baby bottle full of formula was held up to her mouth. _‘No! I don’t want it! I want real food! I want to wake up from this nightmare and eat real food! I’m not a baby! I’m not in the One Piece World!’_ But her new body gave in and unwillingly she began to drink. _‘Ugh, I’m drinking baby formula! I mean, it doesn’t taste as bad as I thought it would but the thought of it as well as being bottle fed is awful!’_

After a few minutes, she had finished her bottle and was calmer. Her back was gently patted and she let out a burp. _‘Okay, so apparently when you do die you are reincarnated into the One Piece World. Those fanfiction were telling the truth. Wait, does that mean those fanfiction were autobiographies? So I’m the daughter of Donquixote Rocinante AKA Corazon which means I’m also Doflamingo’s niece? I guess since Sengoku raised Corazon that means Sengoku’s my grandpa? Wait, isn’t Sengoku’s best friend Monkey D. Garp, Luffy’s grandfather?’_

As if on cue, Garp kicked the door open and broke the hinges. “Senny, why didn’t you tell me that Roci’s had a kid!?”

“Garp shut the hell up!” Sengoku snapped. “You’re going to upset Renata!”

“Renata? So that’s the kid’s name?” Garp asked, walking towards Rocinante and his daughter.

“Garp, shut the **** up,” Rocinante said in an annoyed tone. Typically he would never challenge his superior nor would he be as disrespectful as he was currently, but all the stress from the hours of Renata’s mother being in labor and the news that said woman had died minutes after childbirth made him care less about respect.

Renata knew that a childhood with Garp around meant training and Fists of Love. She didn’t have any teeth in her mouth right now since she was a newborn infant and couldn’t speak. However, she didn’t need teeth to express the horror. Even if she was an adult, she would have reacted the same way. She screamed and cried.

**Rocinante was about nineteen years old when Renata was born.**

**I don’t plan on having Renata be in a pairing. She’ll have sibling-like relationships but no romance.**


	2. We Are Family

Her full name was apparently Donquixote Marinette Renata. At first, Renata tried to rebel at the young age of only a few days old. With the mentality and soul of an adult, she didn’t want to be babied. She didn’t want to be bottle fed formula. She didn’t want to be held and rocked like an infant. Worst of all, she absolutely did not want to be defecating and urinating in a diaper! She was embarrassed whenever she had to be changed!

After about two weeks, Renata grew used to it but was still embarrassed whenever she had to be changed. She had since given up resisting due to her current state. As a baby, she wasn’t as strong as an adult nor could she take care of herself. She couldn’t even walk yet! Whenever she tried to stand up, her baby legs would give in and she’d land on her rump.

“Ren, sweetie,” Rocinante was hiding something behind his back. “I got a present for you,”

_‘Let me guess, a baby toy?’_ Renata rolled her eyes from her position in the crib.

“It’s a fluffy teddy bear,” Rocinante held the plushy up for Renata to see.

_‘It’s so fluffy…’_ Unconsciously, she reached for it. “Ah! Ah!”

“I knew you’d love it,” Rocinante grinned and picked his daughter up so that she could play with the bear.

Rocinante wasn’t as tired as most parents would’ve been. Renata didn’t really cry too much, even if she was hungry. The only time she would wail her head off was when she needed her diaper changed. Renata _hated_ the feeling of sitting in your own feces and urine. It was disgusting. No wonder babies cried when they had to be changed.

For the first time since she was reborn, Renata smiled. She was actually enjoying playing and hugging the teddy bear. In her previous life she loved soft and fluffy objects. Her smile promptly disappeared. _‘My previous life…I left my friends and family behind…’_

Rocinante noticed that his daughter had stopped crying and saw tears forming. “Renata, what’s wrong?”

_‘I miss my friends and my family!’_ Renata sobbed against her father’s chest. _‘I miss my parents and my aunt and my uncle and my cousins! I miss my best friend! I wanna go home!’_

Rocinante gently rocked her and sang a lullaby. “Sweet little child no need tears, there is nothing to fear. Sweet little child do not cry, grow up to be very benign. Sweet little child do not weep, it is time to sleep,”

Renata let Rocinante’s singing lull her to sleep. For once, she didn’t mind being held.

XXX

Renata discovered that although she couldn’t walk or talk, she could still read. She was able to read time whenever she managed a glimpse of the clock on Rocinante’s dresser. She craved books but was never given any. Neither Rocinante nor Sengoku knew that she was able to read. Mentally, she was always bored but fortunately her days were mostly filled with eating and napping. It was the one good thing about her body not having much stamina.

One day, Rocinante took Renata out of her crib and out of their shared bedroom. He brought her to an office where Sengoku and Garp sat. “Remember Garp, don’t be too loud. She’s only an infant,”

“She’s not the first baby I met, Rocinante,” Garp claimed. “I raised Dragon, remember?”

“And that ended up with him leaving the Marines to get as far away from you as possible,” Rocinante mumbled under his breath, causing Renata to giggle. “Pretty sure he’s forming an Anti-World Government Army or something,”

“Hey there kid,” Garp greeted Renata. “I’m your Grunkle Garp,”

“Grunkle?” Both Sengoku and Rocinante raised a brow.

“You can’t expect her to say Great-Uncle,” Garp pointed out. “It’s too long and formal,”

_‘Get him away from me!’_ Renata squirmed, trying to get as far away from the Navy Hero as possible.

“I don’t think she likes you, Garp-san,” Rocinante noticed. “You’re scaring her,”

_‘You’re not my Great-Uncle!’_ Renata panicked. _‘I don’t want to be part of your family! I don’t want your Fists of Love!’_

“Come on Renata,” Garp took another step towards her. “You’re not afraid of your Grunkle Garp, right?”

Renata began to cry. She knew her tears would immediately have Rocinante remove her from Garp’s presence. Rocinante glared at Garp and left the office. “I’m sorry about that, Ren. Garp-san _really_ wanted to see you again,”

 _‘Well I_ don’t _want to see him!’_ Renata huffed. _‘He’s a crazy old man! How is it legal for him to have custody over children!?’_

“Garp-san has a good heart,” Rocinante said. “But he’s just too…rough? Like he knows he’s supposed to be gentle but can’t control himself. Sometimes I wonder if he’s actually Dragon’s biological father,”

 _‘So Dragon’s still the mysterious and broody type like in canon,’_ Renata noted. _‘The only difference in the timeline that I can tell is me being here. I can’t believe that Corazon got a girl pregnant. I thought Doflamingo would have multiple hatchlings running around before Corazon did,’_ She furrowed her brows. _‘I should stop referring to him as Corazon. He’s currently not infiltrating Doflamingo’s crew and since he’s my father, it’d be weird if I called him by a codename,’_

XXX

A few days after the incident with Garp, Rocinante decided to introduce Renata to Tsuru. Renata enjoyed Tsuru’s presence much more than Garp’s. Tsuru was softer and gentler. She wasn’t loud and obnoxious like Garp and wouldn’t give Fists of Love. Renata often wondered if Tsuru herself had children.

Renata was glad that Rocinante wasn’t keeping her confined in the bedroom anymore. He now took her with him around Marineford whenever he wasn’t busy with his paperwork. Soldiers they passed by would wave to Renata who would happily return the gesture. Sometimes the soldiers would compliment her, calling her cute and other adjectives for babies.

Conflict arose when they encountered Sakazuki.

**It’s worth noting that Rocinante and Sakazuki never did get along. But Roci is fine with Kuzan. On the other hand, Roci was told to stay as far away from Borsalino as possible.**


	3. Magma and Ice

Renata was about a month old when she had her first encounter with Sakazuki. Rocinante had taken her on another walk around Marineford when they saw the vice admiral. The two males locked eyes and Rocinante immediately grew protective of his daughter. Sakazuki’s gaze went from Rocinante to Renata.

“So you actually do have a brat,” Sakazuki said.

Renata shivered under his glare and turned away, burying her face into Rocinante’s chest. _‘I-I’d rather be with Garp instead of him!’_

“So what of it?” Rocinante growled. “Why do you care that I have a daughter?”

“She should have never been born,”

Renata’s eyes widened as Sakazuki’s words struck her. _‘No, ignore his words, Ren! Nobody cares what that bastard thinks! Don’t believe his words!’_ Yet she was still hurt. _‘Is this…Is this how Ace felt all those times people said that the son of Roger should never exist? No wonder he was such an angsty kid,’_

“Shut up!” Rocinante snarled. _‘Keep calm Rocinante. I can’t fight with Ren here. She’ll get caught in the crossfire,’_

“Your family’s bloodline should end,” Sakazuki said. “Your brother’s a pirate. It’ll only take time until you end up being a criminal like him and that brat will follow suit,”

Rocinante was usually a patient man but at that moment, he snapped. He lunged towards the older man and was about to swing a fist. Sakazuki was prepared and turned the side of his face into magma. Rocinante’s eyes widened and he wasn’t able to reel his hand back in time. A wall of ice separated Rocinante and Renata from Sakazuki.

“Don’t fight in the hallways,” Kuzan advised. “It’ll be a pain to file the paperwork,”

 _‘Thank you Aokiji! You’re a lifesaver!’_ Renata sighed in relief. _‘I don’t want Cora—Daddy dying nor do I want to die either! Cora-Dad doesn’t stand a chance against Sakazuki the Big Red Dog. Ren, stop calling him Corazon. I can’t slip up when I’m able to talk again. They’ll get suspicious and I don’t want to be called crazy if I tell them the truth, not to mention it will be SO awkward if he learns that his daughter actually has the mind and soul of a full grown adult,’_

“Tch,” Sakazuki shot the three one last glare before heading in the opposite direction.

“Thank you so much, Kuzan-san!” Rocinante bowed. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d have my hand severely burned and Ren might’ve gotten hurt!”

“You should’ve controlled your temper,” Kuzan told him. “You know how Sakazuki is,”

“I wanted to ignore him,” Rocinante sighed. “But when he said those things about my family and how Ren should’ve never been born, I couldn’t stop myself. People don’t get to choose their blood relatives so they shouldn’t be blamed for their family’s crimes. I’m not Doflamingo and neither is Ren. We’re our own person and we make our own choices,” _‘And we aren’t like our ancestors either,’_

Rocinante put a hand to Renata’s cheek. “You’re not hurt, right Ren?”

Renata nodded. _‘I’m fine,’_

Kuzan blinked at the interaction. _‘Did Rocinante not notice how the kid nodded as if she understood what he was asking? I_ should _tell him but…nah, too much work. If I told him, it’d lead to him panicking and asking questions,’_

Just as Kuzan had thought, Rocinante hadn’t noticed Renata’s nod and was examining her for injuries. “Alright, you’re all good. If he had hurt you even just a scratch, I doubt I’d be able to refrain from fighting,”

XXX

During one of her nap times, Renata laid awake in her crib, thinking about the events that had occurred earlier. _‘I could’ve easily been killed. I’m too weak. I need to get stronger in order to survive in this world and to change the timeline. I can’t do anything about being able to talk since I need to wait for my teeth to grow in. However, I should be able to try to train myself to stand up and eventually walk,’_

She rubbed her eyes and yawned. _‘I need to also develop more stamina. Although I’m just a baby, I do have Donquixote Blood flowing through my veins. I’m related to a clumsy clown and an egotistical flamingo but both have their strengths. Dad probably has stronger defenses since his body doesn’t get damaged as easily, probably having adapted to his clumsiness. Doflamingo is hella strong,’_

_‘But I’m also a descendant of those lazy ass bastards who have god complexes. They’re weak and barely even walk to places! Hopefully I didn’t inherit a weak or frail body from then. Then again, Doflamingo and Dad are related to them and trained their bodies. That means I should be able to train myself to eventually become as strong as them,’_

Renata let out another yawn. _‘Ugh, I’m going to sleep. I’ll start working on staying awake later,’_

XXX

Rocinante noticed Renata’s change in behavior. His daughter was resisting naps and was sluggish throughout the rest of the day. This worried Rocinante and he tried to coax her to sleep. “Come on Renata, you’ll have more energy after a nap. You’re a growing girl and need sleep. Soon you’ll be as tall as Daddy,”

Renata fussed and squirmed. She shook her head furiously and let out whines of frustration. However, exhaustion was winning and she mentally groaned. _‘I guess I’ll have to cross stamina training off the list for now. I’ll try to practice standing after this nap,’_ She allowed herself to doze off.

XXX

Renata struggled to pull herself up, using the crib’s bars for support. She made sure that Rocinante wasn’t around when she practiced because after the first times she fell down onto her butt, Rocinante became overly worried, thinking she had broken a bone. He rushed her to the med wing’s emergency room where he received a lecture from the doctor.

As Renata slumped back down onto the crib’s bedding, she sighed. _‘It’s a good thing I didn’t continue trying to stay awake. Just_ trying _to stand up is hard enough and exerts a lot of my energy, though I’m making progress. In the real world, a baby stands at about eight to fifteen months. If I continue practicing, I should be able to stand without assistance by the time I turn two months old. After that, I’ll practice walking,’_

**Renata is born from a powerful bloodline, but she still has to train to become strong. She won’t be overpowered but she won’t be a super weakling either.**


	4. Training

When Renata stood up all on her own for the first time, Rocinante literally cried tears of joy. He gushed about his daughter to everyone he saw throughout the days. He also took loads of photos and eventually Sengoku had to limit the number of Camera Den-Den Mushi Rocinante was allowed access to. Rocinante was too overjoyed to care about the limit and just made use of what he had.

Renata was able to walk without assistance by the time she was three months old. Rocinante had squealed so loudly that Renata was sure one of the windows had shattered. Her achievement of learning how to walk led to another round of gushing. By then, most of the soldiers in Marineford had long since learned to ignore Rocinante’s gushing after the first day.

One day, Rocinante had brought Renata to Sengoku’s office. “She’s growing up so fast!” Rocinante cried to Sengoku. “She’s already drinking her milk by herself! She doesn’t need me to hold the bottle for her!”

 _‘I’m already grown up,’_ Renata rolled her eyes and finished her meal.

“Oi Roci let me see Renata!” Garp stormed into the room. “It’s been months since you last let me see her!”

“Garp you’re scaring her again!” Rocinante instinctively picked Renata up.

But this time, Renata didn’t cry. _‘To get stronger, I need to train. I can learn Haki from Garp but I should probably wait until I’m older. I do_ not _want any permanent damage from his Fists of Love,’_

“She’s not afraid of me anymore,” Garp pointed out. “Good work conquering your fear, Ren! That’s one of the parts of your training!”

Rocinante and Sengoku both glared at Garp. “She’s not even a year old!”

“It’s never too early to start training!” Garp grinned.

“Garp you are not training an infant!” Sengoku growled.

“Relax Senny,” Garp said. “I’ll wait a few more years,”

“There’s no way you’re training her at all!” Rocinante added. “Your training will kill her!”

Renata winced at all of the shouting and put her hands to her ears. “Oo owb!”

Silence fell throughout the room and all eyes were on Renata. “S-She said ‘too loud!’” Rocinante stuttered. “And she knew what it meant!”

“Rocinante you’re overthinking this,” Sengoku told him. “Those were just baby noises that coincidentally are similar to the sounds of ‘too loud’,”

“Ah, you’re probably right,” Rocinante agreed.

_‘Phew,’_ Renata mentally sighed and buried her face into her teddy bear. _‘They finally stopped yelling. Thankfully they don’t suspect a thing. Trying to say ‘too loud’ was an accident. I don’t want those to be my first words,’_

XXX

For the next few years, Renata trained her body with simple tasks. At the age of three years old, she was able to walk long distances without tiring and run short distances. She also started doing small amounts of reps of push-ups and sit-ups, careful to avoid overexerting herself. Rocinante would also take her to the library and flip through pages of books with pictures. Renata enjoyed the change of pace and was able to read some of the text when Rocinante thought that she was staring at the pictures.

Every couple months Rocinante would take Renata on a trip to other islands. Renata loved these outings because she would be able to get away from Marineford and wouldn’t have to worry about Sakazuki being around the corner in the hallways. During these explorations she’d see new sights and taste new foods. For those few weeks she’d let loose and actually enjoy her second childhood instead of training.

During one of those vacations, Rocinante and Renata were enjoying a festival on an island. The walkways were crowded and despite Renata’s attempt to continue holding her father’s hand, her grip slipped and she was lost in the sea of people. Renata looked around frantically but everyone was just so tall and obscured her view. This was the first time Renata was actually alone in public. Her heart began to race.

 _‘Stay calm,’_ She told herself. _‘Daddy isn’t going to leave the island without me. He’s probably looking for me right now. I’m an adult. I should be used to being alone. It’s just been three years since I was actually by myself…’_

Renata caught sight of blonde hair and ran in that direction. “Daddy!” She crashed into a pair of long legs and fell backwards. “Ow…” She rubbed her head. _‘T-This isn’t Daddy. He would immediately scoop me up into his arms once he saw me…’_ Fearfully, she looked up and paled. _‘D-Doflamingo!?’_

“And who are you?” Doflamingo crouched down.

“Behehehe, I bet this brat is lost!” Trebol laughed beside the blonde.

“I-I’m looking for D-Daddy,” Renata managed to stutter.

“Hey Doffy, is it me or does this girl resemble someone we know?” Diamante asked.

Doflamingo stared intently at Renata. _‘Golden-blonde hair…The same shade as_ his _hair as well as mine…She has the same nose and mouth as_ him _as well…’_ “Kid, what’s your name?”

“R-Renata,” She managed to stammer and forced herself to stand back up. _‘The Donquixote Pirates destroyed an entire town just because Doflamingo fell on an uneven road. Are they going to kill me for bumping into Doflamingo’s legs!?’_

“Your father,” Doflamingo questioned, though he seemed hesitant to ask. “What is his name?”

_‘He’s asking about my father’s name?’_ Renata was surprised at the question. _‘Wait, just how much do I resemble Daddy? I know I have his hair color and style, but there’s no way he could conclude that I’m related to his brother just by that. Maybe I inherited his facial features as well? I never understood why people say babies have their parents’ nose and mouth. They all look the same to me,’_

“Oi brat, answer Doffy’s question!” Diamante demanded, causing her to flinch.

“Renata!” Rocinante called.

Renata turned to the direction of the voice. “Daddy! I’m over here!”

Rocinante heard her and rushed to her location, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “You’re safe…Renata, I was so worried that something bad had happened to you!”

Doflamingo could only stare at the man hugging his daughter. Though it has been fourteen years, there was no doubt about the man’s identity. A name escaped Doflamingo’s lips. “Rocinante?”

**Currently, Renata is three years old, Rocinante is twenty two year old, and Doflamingo is twenty four years old.**

**A drawing of Renata’s Zoan Devil Fruit’s full animal form is on my Instagram @dracopirates if you want a sneak peek.**

**This story will be on hiatus for a bit so that I can stock up on prewritten chapters.**


	5. Meeting Uncle

_‘It can’t be…’_ Rocinante froze for a moment before slowly turning his head to look at his older brother. _‘Doflamingo!?’_

Renata noticed the tense atmosphere and tugged on Rocinante’s sleeve. “Daddy, I’m hungry,” _‘Let’s get away from the crazy flamingo. I don’t want either of us dying today,’_

“Ah, let’s go get you some food then,” Rocinante stood up and was about to walk away when he felt his body freeze. _‘S-Strings!?’_

“Don’t just walk away from me,” Doflamingo growled. “Are you Donquixote Rocinante?”

_‘Should I lie to him?’_ Rocinante thought. _‘But he would trust me more if he knew that I’m his brother. He won’t harm me or my daughter. Doflamingo may be a murderous maniac but he cares about those he considers family,’_ He felt the strings tighten, the user getting impatient. “It’s been a while, brother, but I would like to get my daughter something to eat,”

The strings immediately dissipated. “Rocinante…”

Renata let out another whine. “Hungry!”

XXX

Doflamingo, Rocinante, and Renata sat awkwardly in a café. The youngest Donquixote was happily munching away on a strawberry cheesecake. “Yummy!” _‘Focus on the food, Ren. Ignore the awkwardness. Let the adults deal with it. If it gets dangerous, Daddy will grab me and bolt out of here,’_

“So,” Doflamingo began the conversation. “You have a daughter now, huh?”

“Yep,” Rocinante nodded. “Her name’s Donquixote Marinette Renata,”

“Marinette?” Doflamingo inquired. “Why Marinette?”

Renata paused. _‘Come to think of it, I am also curious as to why he chose Marinette as my middle name. None of the Marines I’ve interacted with were named Marinette,’_

Rocinante glanced at Renata with a pained expression that quickly disappeared. “It was her mother’s choice,”

_‘My…mother?’_ Renata realized that over the months she had been living with Rocinante, she had never once seen the woman that gave birth to her. _‘Why wasn’t she around to raise me? Did she hate me or not want me at all?’_

“So who’s the lucky woman that ensnared my brother’s heart?” Doflamingo didn’t seem to have noticed the pained expression that had flickered across Rocinante’s face. “You’ll have to properly introduce me to her. After all, she’s my sister-in-law and therefore family,”

_‘Family? You murdered our father and beheaded his corpse!’_ Rocinante clenched his fist under the table but kept his expression calm. He couldn’t let his anger show and risk scaring his daughter. “She died a few minutes after giving birth to Renata, barely having time and enough strength to hold Renata for the first time. She may have broken my heart but I could tell that she loved Renata dearly,”

“Broken your heart?” Doflamingo frowned. “Judging by your tone, it wasn’t because she died,”

Rocinante sighed. “While we were dating, she cheated on me with five other guys. She was my first girlfriend so of course I was devastated. But it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m never going to date again. Ren is all I need in my life,”

_‘So my mother whored herself out to multiple guys. She may have cared for me but I’m glad she’s not alive. I like how Rocinante, Tsuru, and Sengoku treat me. I know they’re good guys,’_ Deciding to cheer Rocinante up, she made a grabbing motion and her father picked her up. Renata wrapped her arms as best as she could around him. “I love Daddy. You all I need,” She then glared at Doflamingo and made a shooing motion. “Go ‘way,”

“Ren!” Rocinante blushed slightly with embarrassment. “Be nice, that’s your Uncle Doffy. Sorry about that Doffy,”

“It’s nothing,” Doflamingo gently ruffled his niece’s hair.

_‘Act like a child Ren,’_ Renata buried her face into Rocinante’s chest. “My daddy,”

“Ren’s shy around strangers,” Rocinante explained. _‘But she has never outright glared at anyone except Garp-san. Maybe Doffy’s aura is intimidating her? He_ has _killed hundreds of people…’_

Doflamingo would never admit it to anyone nor would he outwardly express it, but he was hurt by his niece’s rejection. His niece was family, which was the most important thing to him. He pushed the feeling aside, knowing Renata would come around eventually. “So Ren, do you like sweets?”

Renata nodded but didn’t look at him. “Uh huh,”

“Since you’ve already finished your cake, want some summer pudding?” Doflamingo offered. “I can order one if you want,”

“Doffy, Renata’s already had enough dessert for this meal,” Rocinante told him.

“What’s summer pudding?” Renata asked honestly. _‘I never heard of it before. Isn’t it just pudding eaten in the summer?’_

“Why don’t you taste it to find out?” Doflamingo grinned and looked to his brother. “A little extra dessert won’t kill her. Besides, don’t you see how curious she is?”

“Daddy, can I have summer pudding?” Renata requested. _‘I can’t say no to more dessert, even if Doflamingo is the one offering it to me. I’ll still keep my guard up since I don’t know what Doflamingo is planning,’_

Rocinante sighed and gave in. If he had denied his daughter of the treat, he was worried that she would cry. He was too soft and couldn’t handle being the cause of her tears. A few quick minutes later, Renata’s dessert was brought out and place in front of her. Summer pudding was bread soaked in berry juice and lined along a mold. The inside was filled in various berries that had been cooked with sugar for sweetness. The casing was closed up with another layer of soaked bread and was chilled.

Renata was hesitant of the idea of bread being used as part of a dessert besides bread pudding, but she brought a spoonful to her mouth, unaware that one of the blueberries on the spoon had swirls covered up by the syrupy filling. As soon as it reached her tongue, she grimaced. _‘Some of it tastes delicious but it like there’s one rotten piece of fruit in it!’_ Thinking it was because it contained a fruit that did not exist in the Real World, she swallowed the dessert. “Bleh,”

“You didn’t like it?” Doflamingo frowned and took a spoonful for himself. “It tastes fine,”

Rocinante inspected the berries in the filling. “I know Ren doesn’t really like blueberries, but she’d immediately spit them out instead of cringing like that,”

Renata’s suddenly froze, staring at her hand as her body began to tremble. _‘W-What is this feeling? I feel like there’s some kind of power inside of me that wants to run rampant,’_

“Ren, are you alright?” Corazon asked worriedly. “You’re shivering,”

_‘Could this power be a Devil Fruit?’_ Renata wondered. _‘It’s not really stated how a person feels when eating a Devil Fruit, but they do taste awful. Did I eat one? Is that why it tasted bad? If it is a Devil Fruit, which one did I eat?’_

**There will be more interactions between the three in future chapters.**


	6. Birdy Horse

“It looks like Ren is feeling sick,” Rocinante said, scooping his daughter up. “We should get going,”

“Rocinante wait,” Doflamingo grabbed his arm to stop him. “Join my crew,”

Rocinante froze, not having expected that offer. “What?”

“Join my crew,” The pirate captain repeated. “We can sail together and spend more time as a family. Of course, Renata will be there too, if you agree to join. I’d really love to get to know my niece better,”

Renata was still shivering but managed to stay awake and listened to the conversation. _‘He wants us to join the Donquixote Pirates?’_

“It’s too dangerous for her,” Rocinante refused, pulling his arm free and resuming his leave.

“You know that I will do anything to protect my family,” Doflamingo reminded. “I will kill anyone that harms my brother or my niece. If you change your mind, come to my ship. We plan on leaving tomorrow morning,”

XXX

Rocinante placed Renata on her bed and tucked her in. “Get some rest, Ren. I need to make a phone call,”

Renata nodded and hugged her polar bear plushy. _‘If I did eat a Devil Fruit, why am I feeling sick like this? Luffy didn’t feel sick. Is it because I’m from another world and am not used to it?’_ She decided to worry about it later and took a nap.

“Silent,” Rocinante snapped his fingers and formed a small sound barrier just around himself and his Den-Den Mushi. He quickly dialed Sengoku’s number. “Sengoku-san,”

_“Ah Rocinante, how have you and Renata been doing?”_

“We’re doing fine,” Rocinante answered. “Ren met her uncle today,”

_There was the sound of someone spitting out their drink and a chair falling._ _“Are you and Renata alright!? Did that bastard hurt you guys!?”_

“We’re okay, he didn’t hurt us!” Rocinante quickly assured him. “We ate at a café but Ren wasn’t feeling well so I took her back to our hotel room,”

_“There’s something else you aren’t telling me,”_

“You can read me well, even over a Den-Den Mushi,” Rocinante sighed.

_“I did raise you,”_

“Yeah,” Rocinante nodded. “Doffy…he invited me and Ren to join his crew…”

_“What?”_

“He wants to bond with me and Ren. I would be able to send information to you without much suspicions since they won’t hear a thing but…”

_“You don’t want to endanger Ren’s life,”_

“Yeah,” Rocinante nodded. “I lost my mother when I was six and Doffy killed our father when I was eight and…” His voice cracked and a few tears managed to escape. “I don’t want to lose Ren. I _can’t_ lose her. I’ve already lost enough people in my life…If anything happens to her, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself!”

_“Rocinante, you don’t have to join his crew. The Marines can somehow get information from another source,”_

“I _have_ to be the spy,” Rocinante claimed. “If it’s a random stranger, it’ll take _years_ to gain his trust which means more innocent people will die. If it’s his younger brother, he’ll hold little to no suspicions. It’s my duty to stop that monster,”

_“You’re under no obligation to do so,”_

Rocinante took a deep breath to regain his composure. “I know Ren’s safety comes first. She’ll be curious about her uncle. Even though Doffy deserves to rot in Impel Down, I can’t bring myself to deprive him of getting to know his niece. He’s the only other blood relative she has,”

_“Rocinante, be careful. If he starts suspecting you, he will threaten Ren. I want you to leave ass soon as you think that you’re both in danger,”_

“Roger that,”

XXX

When Renata woke up after her nap, she felt different. She yawned and as she stretched her arms, she noticed something was odd. Looking at her hands, she began to panic. Instead of a pair of baby human hands, she had three talons. _‘W-What’s going on!?’_ She looked down at her feet which were now horse hooves. Examining the rest of herself, she realized she had a beak, wings, and a horse tail. “DADDY!”

Rocinante rushed into the room. “Ren what’s wrong!?”

“Birdy horse!” Ren held up her talons.

Rocinante nearly fainted in shock. “How did this happen!?” He picked up his daughter. “Ren, how are you feeling?”

Ren awkwardly shrugged her bird shoulders.

“Are you hurting anywhere?” Rocinante asked worriedly.

Ren shook her head. _‘My body feels mostly normal, despite my structure being completely different. I guess this means that I ate a Zoan Devil Fruit, but which one?’_

_‘Shit, shit, shit!’_ Rocinante cursed. _‘What happened to Ren!? Who did this to my daughter!? The only person that was with her besides me was Doffy! Maybe he has answers!’_ Securing Ren in his arms, being extra gentle and careful to not injure her, Rocinante headed for the docks.

XXX

Rocinante and Renata earned strange looks from the villagers as Rocinante rushed towards the dock. Even though Doflamingo hadn’t told him which ship belonged to the Donquixote Pirates, Rocinante immediately knew it was the one that resembled a giant pink flamingo. Doflamingo noticed their arrival and frowned at their panicked expressions. He jumped down from the deck and landed in front of them.

“R-Ren’s a bird horse!” Rocinante held Renata up in front of him so that Doflamingo could see for himself.

“She’s a hippogriff?” Doflamingo was silent for a moment and Renata squirmed under his scrutinizing stare, trying to decipher what had caused her transformation. “Remember how she said that the summer pudding tasted disgusting to her?”

“Did the café poison her!?” Rocinante exclaimed.

“There were whole berries in the filling,” Doflamingo recalled. “One of them must have been a Devil Fruit,”

_‘That explains the disgusting taste,’_ Renata agreed.

“How do we turn her back to normal?” Rocinante asked, nearly shouting in concern.

“I’m not entirely sure since none of my family members has eaten a Zoan Devil Fruit,” Doflamingo said. “All of us are Paramecia users,”

_‘Am I stuck in my full beast form!?’_ Renata’s expression turned into one of horror. _‘I don’t have any hands!’_

“Ren, can you try thinking of returning to your human form?” Doflamingo asked in a gentle tone to not scare her.

Ren thought of herself as human again, with _hands_ instead of talons and with two feet instead of four. Slowly her body began to change back to its original form. After a couple minutes, she was fully human once again. “Daddy I’m not birdy horse!”

“Thank goodness,” Rocinante hugged his daughter. “But we’re going to need to work on you controlling your Devil Fruit from now on. It’s so sad that you won’t be able to experience swimming though,”

“Rocinante,” Doflamingo interrupted. “Are you and Ren going to be joining my crew?”

Rocinante took a deep breath, not wanting to show signs of nervousness. “Yes, but Ren and I need to get our stuff from our hotel room,” _‘And I need to tell Ren to not mention that I’m a Marine. I know she’s just a child but I’m hoping that she won’t say anything about personally knowing famous Marine figures,”_

**Renata ate the Bird-Bird Fruit: Model Hippogriff.**


	7. Fake Backstories and Kidnappings

Back at the hotel room, Rocinante created a sound barrier. “Ren, I need you to promise me something,”

“Okay,” Renata nodded, already knowing what he was going to say.

“ _Never_ mention that I’m a Marine to anyone,” Rocinante told her, trying to be serious while keeping a tone that wouldn’t scare her.

“Okay,” Renata nodded once more.

_‘J-Just like that?’_ Rocinante had expected the never ending asking of “why” that curious children often did. “You understand that I’m very serious about not telling anyone, especially your Uncle Doffy, that I’m a Marine?”

“Yep,” The three year old nodded a third time. “I won’t tell anyone,” _‘You’re kinda essential to saving Law. Also, I don’t know what would happen to me if Doflamingo finds out you’re a traitor. He might kill me too for being your daughter or he might raise me since I’m his niece,’_ “But what if Uncle Doffy asks what Daddy’s job is?”

 _‘Shit, I haven’t thought about that!’_ Rocinante bit his tongue to avoid swearing out loud, not wanting Renata to mimic cursing. “What job do you want Daddy to have?”

“Tangerine farmer,” Renata answered instantly.

Rocinante blinked, not having expected that answer. _‘Where’d she get that idea from? None of her books mention anything about farming specifically tangerines. They were mostly farmers who grew rice, cabbages, and potatoes,’_ “Are you sure?”

_‘Even though it’s been over three years since my cousins had me read CoraBelle fanfiction, I still remember it,’_ Renata grinned. “Daddy’s a tangerine farmer,”

“I know you really want me to be one, but I think there’s a big hole in the story,” Rocinante sighed sadly. “I don’t own any tangerine fields nor are there any on nearby islands. I’m really sorry Ren but can you choose something else for Daddy’s job?”

“Fisher,” Renata mumbled. “Daddy catches lots of fish,”

Rocinante passed Renata’s polar bear plushy to her in an attempt to cheer her up. “I’m sorry Ren but we need a plausible story for our own safety. So if Uncle Doffy asks you what my job is, say that I’m a fisherman,”

It didn’t take long for Rocinante to finish packing their belongings. Fortunately, most of their possessions were actually back at Marineford. They checked out of the hotel and started to head back to the deck. Rocinante was holding both of their luggage and Renata at the same time. Whenever he tripped, he made sure to land on his back to avoid crushing his daughter.

Renata squirmed around in Rocinante’s hold. Something inside of her wanted to be free, to be able to run around. She didn’t want to be carried. Rocinante reluctantly agreed to let Renata walk beside him. Once her foot touched the ground, she felt her body shifting once more into her full beast form, despite not consciously wanting to. She decided that she’d have to live with it and attempted to move. Still unused to her new form, she took a few wobbly steps forward. She had to move four limbs to get where she wanted to rather than just two.

After a bit of walking, she started to get a hang of it. “Daddy, look at me!” Renata cheered. _‘It’s still really weird yet it also feels somewhat natural to move around like this,’_

“Ren don’t go too far,” Rocinante warned. Even though this island seemed peaceful, he knew that there was always the chance of kidnapping. If Renata ever got kidnapped, he’d do whatever it took to get her back.

She had meant to listen to her father, she really did, but her body couldn’t resist the urge to explore her surroundings. She sprinted ahead, her hooves kicking up a cloud of dust behind her. She loved the feeling of the wind rushing past her feathers. She felt so unrestrained, so _free._ As if controlled by a marionette, she zigzagged in between buildings effortlessly. Opening her mouth, she let out an eagle’s caw.

She stopped in an alley to catch her breath and looked around. “Daddy?” _‘Crap, did I go too far? Where’s Daddy? He was right behind me,’_

“I reckon that hippogriffs are worth a lot in the exotic pet trade,” A man said from behind Ren, blocking her only exit.

“Not as desired as a mermaid but they still go for quite the price,” The woman beside him said. “This one looks like she’s only a hatchling though,”

Renata felt her blood run cold. _‘Exotic pet trade? They’re kidnappers!’_

“Come here little birdy,” The man took a few steps towards her.

Renata backed away but ended up hitting the dead end. She let out a loud caw to sound intimidating, but her voice betrayed her and showed her fear. She needed to get away and get help. _‘I’m not entirely sure where Daddy is but the docks are definitely where Uncle Doffy and his crew are!’_ She looked around desperately for any signs of an opening. _‘There!’_ She dove in between the man’s legs to slide past him like she saw in the movies.

But it seemed like the man had expected this and managed to catch Renata’s wing. “She’s one feisty little birdy,”

Renata let out a cry of pain at the grip on her wing. “Let go!” She flailed around, kicking and clawing at the air, hoping for a lucky hit.

“She’s either a talking hippogriff or a Devil Fruit user,” The woman deduced. “It doesn’t matter since we’ll get more money either way,”

Two gunshots rang out and Renata felt a warm liquid splash onto her feathers and skin. The grip loosened and she fell to the ground. She barely managed to move away just as the man and woman fell forward, blood pooling around them. They had each been shot once in the head resulting in instant death.

Renata looked up to see the killer’s identity. Rocinante stood there, furious, with a pistol in his hand. Even the anger Rocinante showed in the anime when the doctors refused to treat Law and called him a monster was _nothing_ compared to what Renata was seeing now.

_Her parents, her original ones that were from the real world, lay in a puddle of crimson. Smoke emitted from the end of the barrel of the pistol, the weapon that fired the two lethal shots. The person who had pulled the trigger…was her._

Renata had reverted to her human form and had curled up into a ball, tears streaming down and body trembling. She was terrified, having heard the gunshots caused her to relive the moments when her original life had turned to hell.

“Ren!” Rocinante hurriedly picked her up. _‘I can’t tell if this is her blood or those bastards! The hospital is too far away. Doffy’s ship is nearby! He must have a doctor on his crew!’_ “Ren, it’s going to be okay!”

**Doffy’s going to be pissed when he learns about the attempted kidnapping.**


	8. Burn the City Down

Doflamingo waited patiently on the deck for his brother and niece to return. As he heard footsteps nearing and saw the two approaching, a familiar scent reached his nose. His eyes narrowed behind his shades once he noticed the blood on the child. _‘Someone_ dared _to hurt my family!?’_

Doflamingo used his strings to prevent Rocinante from tripping and falling over the gangplank as he boarded. “D-Doffy I need your help!” Rocinante panicked. “R-Ren was…and then…”

“Jora!” Doflamingo called.

A woman with dual colored hair exited to the deck. “Yes Young Master?” She gasped as soon as she saw the blood splattered Renata. “I’ll see to her wounds right away!” She reached to take her from Rocinante who took a step back.

“Roci, she’ll help Ren,” Doflamingo assured him. “I promise that she won’t hurt her,”

Rocinante nervously handed Renata to Jora who brought her to the med bay. Staying on the deck, he shakily took out his cigarette and lighter. Inhaling the nicotine, his nerves calmed down a bit. He hadn’t smoked in a long time, having done his best to quit once he learned that he was going to be a father. He only smoked when he was extremely stressed out. “She was in her hippogriff form and ran ahead of me,” He told Doflamingo. “Some bastards tried to kidnap her,”

Doflamingo’s grin twitched and veins became visible on his forehead. “Where are they?”

“Lying in a pool of their own blood,” Rocinante answered. “Shot them both in the back of their skulls. Instant kill,” Usually Rocinante _hated_ killing people. He thought that if he killed, he’d be nothing better than Doflamingo himself. He tended to knock people out or injure them so that they’d be too crippled to resist much. However, the sight of them holding Renata up like she was some sort of trophy enraged him.

Though it felt like an eternity of waiting, it only took a few minutes for Jora to return to the two older Donquixote’s. “The child is unconscious but doesn’t have any serious injuries-zamasu. She does have bruises along her back though. None of the blood belonged to her,” She turned to Rocinante. “Change her into clean clothes. The one she’s currently wearing will have to be tossed out-zamasu,”

As Jora led Rocinante to Renata’s location, Doflamingo summoned Diamante, Trebol, and Pica. “Destroy this town,”

XXX

Rocinante didn’t notice the town’s destruction. All of his attention was on his daughter. Doflamingo took a seat beside his brother. They both just sat in silence for a bit. “She’s going to be okay,” Doflamingo told him. “She fainted from fear, not from her injuries,”

“No…” The small, quiet voice filled with terror came from Renata.

“Ren?” Rocinante gently called out.

“Stop…Don’t… _Please…_ ” They could hear desperation in the girl’s voice. “I don’t want…to kill them…”

Rocinante froze. “Doffy, did I hear her correctly?”

“She said she doesn’t want to kill them,” Doflamingo frowned. “Who is she talking about?”

“I don’t know,” Rocinante said. “But she shouldn’t be having nightmares about something like that. If anything, her nightmares would be about her getting hurt by those bastards,” He gently lifted Renata up and cradled her to his chest. “Ren, I need you to wake up. You’re having a nightmare,” He gently nudged her shoulder, not wanting to irritate her bruises.

Ren’s eyes flew open and were filled with panic and dread. “W-Where am I!?” She looked around frantically. _‘This isn’t my house! Where is this place!?’_

“Ren,” Rocinante called to her. “Ren, calm down. Take deep breaths, okay? Breathe with me. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale,”

Despite her frantic state, she listened to him. Once she was more composed, she realized that she was in Rocinante’s arms. _‘That was just a nightmare. I haven’t had those since when I first came to this world. Soro isn’t anywhere near me…’_ “Daddy?” Her voice came out like a choked sob and tears cascaded down her face.

“I’m right here, Ren,” Rocinante told her gently. “It’s okay now. Nobody’s going to hurt you,”

Renata allowed herself to cry in her father’s arms. Rocinante, along with Doflamingo, comforted her to the best of their abilities, assuring her that it was alright and that they won’t allow anyone to hurt her ever again.

XXX

“I’m sorry, Ren,” Rocinante apologized once she had ceased crying. “It’s my fault that you got hurt. I should’ve protected you better. I’m a horrible father,”

Renata lifted her head from Rocinante’s chest and looked towards him. She lifted her arm and a loud slap echoed throughout the med bay, her hand having made contact with Rocinante’s cheek, shocking both adults. “Daddy’s not bad…Daddy saves…Daddy saved Ren…”

“But you still got hurt because of me,”

Renata shook her head. “I got hurt…I’m bad…No listen to Daddy…Ran too far…” Her voice became softer as she started to nod off. “I’m sorry…Please don’t leave me…Please don’t hate me…”

“Leave you? Hate you?” Rocinante was now even more confused. “Ren, why would I leave or hate you? You’re my daughter,” But he didn’t receive an answer since Renata had fallen asleep.

“Are you sure she’s only three years old?” Doflamingo asked. _‘Ren’s acting really strange for someone her age. Was she abused? No, of course not! Rocinante’s her father and the one who raised her! He would never harm her! So why is she acting like this?’_ He glanced towards his brother. “Roci, you should get some rest too. You’re probably emotionally exhausted as well,”

“I’m not leaving Ren,” Rocinante told him.

“I’m not telling you to leave her here alone,” Doflamingo responded. “You can also rest in here. I’ll bring Ren’s and your lunch here later. If Ren’s up for it, she can meet the others at dinner,”

**Doflamingo’s executives burned down an entire town just because he tripped on an uneven road. Of course Doflamingo’s going to order his executives to destroy the town when some assholes harmed his niece.**

**This story will be on hiatus for a bit so that I could once again restock on pre-written chapters.**


End file.
